Sunday, March 13, 2011

Comiskey Is Very Sore

George Munson, the Browns' Secretary, returned from the Pacific Coast yesterday morning. Mr. Munson combined pleasure with business, and made the trip his wedding tour. He was asked last night in regard to the feelings of Foutz, Bushong and Welch at leaving St. Louis. He declared that all regretted leaving here where they had helped win so many championships, although each would receive quite an advance in salary. Comiskey is very sore over the release of his men and thinks it rather hard that he should be compelled to fight with raw material next season. Bushong will soon leave the coast to come to St. Louis and sell the house which he owns. He will then take up a permanent residence in Brooklyn.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 6, 1887

This report of Comiskey's take on the sales is rather significant. My understanding, which I think is based on G.W. Axelson's book, was that Comiskey believed that some of the players were causing problems in the clubhouse and that their egos were getting out of control. Therefore, he was supportive of the moves. He absolutely did not say anything negative about the moves in the book. However, based on Munson's observations, Comiskey was not at all happy with the moves.

The other thing that should be noted here is that Comiskey had no hand in the moves. It's largely assumed that Comiskey was the baseball brains behind the Browns' operation and while I'm sure he had some input and his opinion was valued, it's obvious that Von der Ahe ran the club. This is a point that I've made numerous times but it never hurts to beat a dead horse a bit more.

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Welcome To TGOG

The goal of this blog is to tell the story of the history of 19th century St. Louis baseball and to serve as a resource for 19th century baseball researchers. It is, essentially, an online research journal. If you have any comments, criticisms or suggestions, feel free to contact me at thisgameofgames@gmail.com.

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"Baseball is the very symbol, the outward and visible expression of the drive and push and rush and struggle of the raging, tearing, booming nineteenth century." Mark Twain, 1889.